'It
occurred after you met a man who clearly was controlling and
over-bearing; a man who, it is also clear, should be prosecuted himself
but is outside the jurisdiction and beyond the reach of this
investigation.

'Even
though he was at a distance from you, he continued to exert that
influence, but you continued to behave towards your son in a way which,
despite that pressure, your own instincts should have prevented.'

The court heard that the boy was just 11 or 12 when the abuse took place.

It came to light when his mother made a complaint at Next Link Domestic Abuse Services in Bristol.

Her confession was passed on to Avon and Somerset police and she was taken in for questioning, and the boy was interviewed.

Prosecuting, Mark Hollier said: 'In a very
ordinary voice, he described an incident to the police officers about
how his mother had given him a sex lesson in the main bedroom of the
family home and this was observed by [the partner] via a webcam and
computer link.'

The mother - who cried through much of the hearing - denied 'volunteering' to have sex with her son.

She was charged with engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a boy under 13 which she admitted.

The court heard that her two sons were taken into care by social services and are now living with a foster family.

The
abusive partner is still abroad and police are liaising with
authorities in that country - which can't be named for legal reasons -
to bring him to justice.

Defending,
Fiona Elder, said it was an 'extremely unusual' case and the mother was
acting on instructions from her 'highly destructive' partner.

She added: 'She's absolutely devastated by the loss of the children and what she has done.'

A
psychiatric report found the woman had a personality disorder which
made her susceptible to being in abusive relationships and would become
dependent on abusive partners.

Judge
Longman imposed a Sexual Offences Prevention Order and ordered the
woman to sign the Sex Offenders' Register indefinitely.